By Ned Barnett
Most pundits are telling Senator Hillary Clinton that it's all over
but the shouting. The math is against her. However, the math is also
currently against Senator Obama -- neither candidate can earn the
needed majority in the remaining primaries. The decision will be made
by the Democrats' superdelegates, who are not obligated to decide whom
they sup****t until the convention. And they are empowered to change
their allegiance at any time, based on their "read" of what's best for
the party.
This means that until the first ballot in Denver in August, Hillary
still has a chance.
Conventional wisdom among those who pretend to know why Senator
Clinton is hanging in there say she's waiting -- and hoping for -- an
Obama scandal that will make Reverend Wright look like a footnote.
Because Senator Obama is so little known among the public, they've got
their fingers crossed that some scandal that's worse than Reverend
Wright will surface, and surface soon enough to persuade the
superdelegates that Obama can't win.
The "sitting and waiting" strategy is out of character for the
politically-savvy Clintons. It's possible they may be shell-shocked
from the primary campaign's insane roller coaster ride. However, once
they have caught their breath, they may decide that the prize is worth
exercising Hillary's "nuclear option" -- in effect, using surrogates
to nuke Senator Obama so thoroughly that they will create that Obama
Can't Win scandal out of what is already out there.
In this option, Clinton surrogates -- those public figures who are
obviously in the tank for the Clintons, such as Lanny Davis and Paul
Begala, as well as those who are not so obviously affiliated with the
Clinton campaign -- will carry out the "nuke Obama" strategy on
Senator Clinton's behalf, leaving her hands clean and her reputation
unsullied.
What constitutes the Nuclear Option?
Senator Obama has gotten such a near-universal pass on his background
that there remain potentially troubling elements to his career and
life-story. Bringing these forward now and painting them in the worst
possible light could have a "death by a thousand cuts" impact on the
largely untried Senator from Illinois, who has already shown that he's
not at his best in responding to harsh and unexpected criticism.
Keeping Senator Obama dodging and ducking and bobbling defenses
creates two op****tunities:
Senator Obama's background will deliver that one "deal-killer" issue
that will turn the superdelegates away from their popular favorite, or
The weight of unanswered criticism will collectively convince the
superdelegates that Senator Obama can't win, and that the Party needs
a win more than it needs Obama
Both options are long shots, to be sure, but there may be enough out
there with which to criticize Senator Obama to make the nuclear option
at least plausible. Some might even say that the nuclear option
campaign has already begun with Paul Begala's public pronouncement
that the Party Can't Win by relying on white eggheads and African-
Americans, a bombshell he dropped on CNN in a "debate" with Democratic
strategist Donna Brazile.
What are the issues that could be included in the Nuclear Option?
Here is a sampling:
- Comb the archives of Trinity Church for a DVD that shows both
Reverend Wright making yet one more of his offensively over-the-top
statements ... and showing Senator Obama in the congregation,
listening to his preacher. Senator Obama skirted responsibility for
Wright, in part, by claiming that "I never heard him say that." Prove
this defense wrong and it will not only tie Obama to Wright, but will
paint him as a lying politician, and one not particularly adept at
lying.
- Comb sources for home video of a speech that Senator Obama gave in
conjunction with unrepentant Weatherman domestic terrorist Bill Ayres,
and in this way, tie Senator Obama more tightly to this radical who's
helped to kill Americans on American soil. Senator Obama has persuaded
the media that he and Ayres are just neighbors, but video that would
show them sharing a platform as allies could shake that excuse -- and
Obama's credibility. With such a thin track record, the hope he is
offering the Party and the American voters rests on a thin reed of
credibility.
- Assuming that Tony Rezko is found guilty in his fraud trial, find
some way to pressure prosecutors to offer Tony Rezko a sentencing deal
in exchange for offering incriminating testimony that will tie Senator
Obama far more closely to this shady political fund-raiser (currently
in the midst of a bribery trial). The Rezko story has been largely
overlooked by the media. Few voters understand the nature of the Rezko/
Obama connection. But this Chicago politics as usual story of sordid
minor-league corruption will further shake the Senator's image of
electability.
- Push forward another story that has been largely ignored by the
media: Senator Obama's radically permissive position favoring "birth
control abortions," on-demand, for minors, and his related view that
babies, including his own future grandchildren, are "punishments." As
explained in American Thinker - one of the very few political media
which even noted this statement - in late March, Senator Obama said:
"Look, I got two daughters - nine years old and six years old. I am
going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a
mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby."
This is a position that would prove widely unpopular among moderate
"values" Democrats and most independents in a general election with a
pro-life candidate, this issue could be a political deal-breaker.
- Comb Senator Obama's voting record in the Senate and in the Illinois
legislature and find every issue he's voted for (or against) that - if
the vote were known - would make moderate Democrats and Independents
uncomfortable with the Senator. Where possible, find video showing
Senator Obama advocating these politically extreme or unpopular
positions, making it hard for the Senator to deny that he was "in the
pew" when those issues came up for consideration.
These five possibilites, along other issues that cast a bad light on
Senator Obama, constitute Senator Clinton's "nuclear option." These
issues have been largely ignored, minimized or "put to bed" by the
national mainstream political media, including media opinion leaders
ranging from the New York Times to CNN, MSNBC and the broadcast news
networks. However, these same issues can be advanced by Clinton
surrogates in a way that will force the media to take another look ...
and force the super delegates to re-think their ultimate choice.
That is Senator Clinton's last chance. She has the op****tunity, she
has the strategy, and she and her advisors have the savvy to see how
to raise these (and other) issues without leaving finger prints.
Independently, these individual issues are unlikely to be deal-
killers, but taken together, they might give Democratic Party
superdelegates reason to reconsider Senator Obama, and favor Senator
Clinton.
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